HQ Team
October 3, 2024: Harvard University researchers have developed a drug-free nasal spray that blocks, and neutralizes viruses and bacteria.
The spray offered nearly 100% protection from respiratory infections resulting from Covid-19 influenza, and pneumonia-causing bacteria, according to a statement from Harvard.
The spray forms a gel-like matrix that captures and neutralizes germs and may offer another layer of protection against respiratory infections, according to a preclinical study conducted by Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The spray, called Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS), was developed using ingredients from the FDA’s Inactive Ingredient Database.
These ingredients have been previously used in approved nasal sprays, or from the Generally Recognized as Safe list of the Food and Drug Administration, said co-senior author Nitin Joshi, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at BWH.
Safe, long-lasting
It is long-lasting, safe, and, if validated in humans, could play an important role in reducing respiratory diseases and guarding against new threats.
“The Covid pandemic showed us what respiratory pathogens can do to humanity in a very short time,” said co-senior author Jeffrey Karp, distinguished chair in anesthesiology at BWH.
“That threat hasn’t gone away. Not only do we have the flu to deal with seasonally, but we now have Covid, too,” he said.
Most viruses enter our system through the nose. When we catch an airborne infection like the flu or Covid, we breathe out tiny droplets of fluids that contain the pathogen.
Vaccines are imperfect
Healthy people around us breathe in these pathogen-containing droplets, which attach inside their noses and infect the cells that line the nasal passageways.
The pathogen replicates and can be released back into the air when an individual who is sick, sneezes, coughs, laughs, sings, or even just breathes.
Vaccines against these viruses can be beneficial, but they’re imperfect.
Vaccinated people still get infected and spread the infection to others. Masks are also helpful but aren’t perfect, either — they can leak, and many people wear them improperly or choose not to wear them at all.
The researchers did the experiments in laboratory settings. They have not studied the spray directly in humans.
3D-printed replica of human nose
They developed the formulation and studied its ability to capture respiratory droplets in a 3D-printed replica of a human nose. The study showed that when sprayed in the nasal cavity replica, it captured twice as many droplets as mucus alone.
“The PCANS forms a gel, increasing its mechanical strength by a hundred times, forming a solid barrier,” said primary author John Joseph, a former postdoctoral fellow at BWH.
“It blocked and neutralized almost 100% of all viruses and bacteria we tested, including Influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV, adenovirus, K Pneumonia and more.”
Experiments in mice showed that a single dose of the PCANS nasal spray could effectively block infection from an influenza virus (PR8) at 25 times the lethal dose.
Virus levels in the lungs were reduced by more than 99.99%, and the inflammatory cells and cytokines in the lungs of PCANS-treated animals were normal, according to the statement.
Allergy relief
“The formulation’s ability to inactivate a broad spectrum of pathogens, including the deadly PR8 influenza virus, demonstrates its high effectiveness,” said co-senior author Yohannes Tesfaigzi, AstraZeneca Professor of Medicine in the Field of Respiratory and Inflammatory Diseases at BWH.
The researchers are exploring whether PCANS can also block allergens, opening a potential new avenue for allergy relief.
The results are published in the journal Advanced Materials.
